George ferdinand miller



'(No Model.)

G. F. MILLER. MACHINE FOR THE EXTRACTION 0F FIBERS. No. 451,063.

Patented Apr. 28, 189-1.

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ONE-HALF TO CHARLES F. VVARRINER, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR THE EXTRACTION OF FIBERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,063, dated April 28, 1891. Application filed July 17, 1890- Serial No. 359,021. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE FERDINAND MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jacksonville, in the county of Duval and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Machine for the Extraction of Fibers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for the extraction of fiber from vegetable leaves and stalks, such as palmetto-leaves; and it has for its object to construct a machine of this class which shall possess superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability, and general efficiency.

With these ends in view the invention aims at subjecting the vegetable matter which is to be treated to a gradual process of reduction, by means of which the pulp and glutinous matter shall be removed and the fiber permitted to remain intact in a more perfect condition and consisting of longer strands thanwould be possible if the material were subjected to any of the hackling processes more usually employed. This is accomplished essentially by a toothed hackling or reducing cylinder arranged obliquely with relation to an endless carrier, by means of which the material to be operated upon is carried past the said cylinder; and my invention consists, broadly, in the said relative arrangement of parts, and, further, in the details ofconstruction and arrangement which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure l is a side elevation of a machine embodying my improvements, parts of the same having been broken away for the purpose of showing the construction more clearly. Fig. 2 is a detailed plan view of a portion of the machine.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in both the figures.

In a suitably-constructed frame (designated by 1) are mounted a pair of transverse parallel shafts 2 2, one of which carries near its front end a gear-wheel 3, and each of which carries a polygonal chain-wheel 4. A long. tndinal shaft 5, journaled in suitable bearings upon the ends of the frame, carries a spur-wheel, or, if preferred, a band-wheel, to

receive motion from power of any suitable description. The shaft 5 also carries a wormgear 7, meshing with the spur-wheel 3 upon the shaft 2, to which motion is in this manner transmitted. The chain-wheels 4 4 upon the shafts 2 2 are connected by an endless chain 8, composed of a series of links or frames 9 9, which are hinged together at their ends by means of pivotal bolts 10. The links or frames 9 are rectangular in shape and are provided with depending flanges 11, adapted to be engaged by lugs or spurs 12 upon the faces of the chain-wheels 4, upon which the said chain will thusoperatewithoutdangerofslipping. The upper or outer sides of the frames or links 9 are provided at their ends with webs or flanges 13, which are strengthened by means of fins or braces 14. The meeting faces of the flanges 13 are provided with sharp teeth or points 15, adapted to grasp and firmly hold such material as may be placed between them. It will be understood that at the endsof the ma chine where the linksof the chain pass over the chain-wheels 4 the end flanges of the links will separate, as shown at 16, so as to enable material to be placed between them or removed" therefrom, as the case may be. At theintermediate points between the chainwheels 4 the said toothed flanges 13 occupy a vertical position in contact with each other.

Suitable boxes or bearings 17 are provided upon the upper side of the frame of the machine for a shaft 18, carrying a drum or cylinder 19, the face of which is provided with rows or series of sharp-pointed teeth 20. The shaft 18 also carries a band-wheel 21 to receive motion from any suitable source of power.

The operation of this invention will be readily understoood from the foregoing de scription, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed. It will be observed that the shaft 18, carrying the toothed cylinder 19, is placed obliquely with relation to the endless carrying-chain 8, one end of said cylinder being at a reater distance from the said carrying-chaimthan the other end, which latter is located within a short distance of the said endless chain. The vegetable material which is to be operated upon is fed into the the toothed end flanges of the links or frames,

machine at the end at which the toothed cylinder is distant from the endless carryingchain. Said material, being placed between is grasped between the latter and carried past the toothed cylinder, which gradually engages the said vegetable material, removing therefrom the pulp and glutinous matter, While the fiber remains uninjured. The operation, it will be seen, proceeds until the vegetable material has been carried entirely past the hackling-cylinder, by which time the operation will have been fully and thoroughly completed. \Vhen the delivery end of the machine is reached, the toothed frames of the links will again separate, thus causing the fibrous material to drop into some suitable receptacle, which may have been placed in position conveniently for its reception.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a machine for manufacturing fiber, the combination, with an endless carryingchain the links of which are adapted to hold and to carry between their meeting ends the material to be operated upon, of a toothed hackling-cylinder arranged obliquely with relation to said chain and the wheels carrying the latter, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of an endless chain or carrier the links of which are provided at their meeting ends with outwardly-extending flanges, a toothed cylinder arranged obliquely with relation to the said chain, and the wheels carrying the latter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a suitable frame, of an endless chain or carrier the links of which are provided at their meeting ends with outwardly-extending flanges the meeting edges of which are provided with teeth or prongs, a toothed cylinder arranged obliquely with relation to the said chain, and the wheels carrying the latter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a machine of the class described, the

endless chain or carrier composed of a series of links, each provided with outwardly-extend- 5'. The combination of a frame, the transverse shafts having the chain-wheels, a spurwheel upon one of said shafts, a longitudinal shaft having a worm engaging said spurwheel, an endless chain mounted upon the chain-wheels and composed of links or frames provided at their ends with outwardly-extending flanges having toothed meeting faces, a shaft arranged obliquely with relation to the said chain, and a cylinder mounted upon said shaft and having outwardly-extending teeth, substantially as set forth.

6. In a machine of the class described, the endless chain or carrier composed of links or frames hinged together and each provided at its ends with outwardly-extending flanges having toothed meeting faces, and ribs or braces connecting said flanges with the body of the link, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of the chain-wheels having outwardly-extending lugs or flanges, and the endless chain or carrier the links of which are provided with transverse flanges to engage said lugs and with outwardly-extending flanges having toothed meeting faces, substantially'as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination, with a suitable frame, of an endless chain or carrier the links of which are provided at their meeting ends with outwardly extending flanges having toothed meeting faces, a toothed hac kling-cylinder arranged obliquely with relation to the said chain or carrier, the wheels supporting the latter, and mechanism for transmitting motion to said cylinder and said chain or carrier independent of each other, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE FERDINAND MILLER.

Witnesses:

I-I. WILsON, W. D. VINGART. 

